CONTROVERSIAL plans for a travellers site in Frampton Cotterell have been approved by members of South Gloucestershire Council.

Green belt land at Bristol Road near the Frampton Cotterell Texaco garage will now be developed to accommodate five mobile homes and five touring caravans.

The site will become the home of the Hegartys, an extended traveller family who have long established connections with South Gloucestershire.

The family previously resided on a gypsy site in Winterbourne, but left after Mrs Hegarty was involved in a serious road traffic accident and was left traumatised.

The Hegartys currently live at a site in Swindon but have to leave as the site is currently in the process of being sold.

Angus Murdoch, the agent representing the family, informed South Gloucestershire councillors that the family are “well respected in the area”.

He said: “The Hegarty family have a 30 year connection with this area. They are well respected and have ties with a nearby church and school.”

Speaking of the site at Frampton Cotterell, he added: “This is an ideal site.

“In short, although can be argued that use of the site represents inappropriate development on the Green Belt, there are special circumstances that mean it is suitable for development.”

Some of the reasons that the site is suitable for the traveller family include “meeting a need for more sites” as well as it being in the “best interest of the Hegarty children”, according to Mr Murdoch.

Michaela Crumpton, who spoke at the meeting on behalf of Frampton Cotterell residents objecting to the site, was not pleased with the decision.

She said: “This is an example of positive discrimination against the settled community.

“Frampton Cotterell residents cannot build on the green land because of rigorous planning laws, so why should the rules be different for others?”

But Cllr Dave Hockey, who expressed his approval for the site, dismissed the notion that the site is a case of “positive discrimination”.

He said: “With regards to travellers being treated differently – yes, there are requirements on all local authorities to supply sites for pitching.

“However, on Bristol road there are numerous incidents of the settled community developing without planning consent.

"To say that we are being discriminatory when this is a lawful planning application seems unjust.”

Cllr Hockey added that he and his wife, Pat Hockey, do not have an interest in the site.

He said: “There have been rumours that our daughter will be living on this site and I want to categorically say that this is false.”

The vote to approve the travellers site was approved by a clear majority, with one person objecting and two abstaining.